Hi all -

This is a long shot, since most of the talk on the group is centered
on people in the US getting married...but I don't know where else to
start.  :-)

I am moving to Cambridge, (England) next year, and will be married there
next september.  Neither my SO or I are particularly religious in the
sense of attending a church regularly, so we don't so we don't feel it
would be appropriate to be married in a church structure.  (Although
with him being a graduate of King's College, I admit I'm tempted to ask
to be married in King's Chapel...what history, if nothing else!)

Anway, I know the laws have recently changed to allow weddings to be held
in venues other than a church or registry office.  But I am stumped as to
find any places that are so qualified in/around Cambridge.  

Can anyone offer some help/advice?

Thanks :-)

       Dawn

--

--

ae...@yfn.ysu.edu (Dawn S Bott) wrote:

The contact details for the Registrar in Cambridge are on

http://www.worldserver.pipex.com/cambridge/azprtqr.htm#REGISTRATION
SERVICE

Contents (precis'd) are...

REGISTRATION SERVICE

Registration of births, deaths and marriages. Licences to hold
marriage ceremonies in approved premises. Access to historical records
and information.

Please ring for an appointment. If you require a copy of a birth,
death or marriage certificate contact your local register office.

Cambridge
Cambs County Council
0223 317021
Finance and Administration Department
Cambridge Register Office
Superintendent Registrar
Castle Lodge
Castle Street
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB3 0AP

County
Cambridgeshire County Council is the facilitating authority
for the Registration Service, providing funding and setting
standards. Any general and administrative enquiries should
be made to this contact.

Cambs County Council
0223 317172
Finance and Administration Department
Registration Service
Shire Hall
Castle Hill
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB3 0AP

Ely-marriages
Cambs County Council
0353 663824, 0353 662826
Finance and Administration Department
Ely Register Office
Superintendent Registrar
The Old Gaol House
4 Lynn Road
Ely
Cambridgeshire
CB6 1AB

Huntingdon
Cambs County Council
0480 425821
Finance and Administration Department
Huntingdon Register Office
Superintendent Registrar
Wykeham House
Market Hill
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire
PE18 6NR

March
Cambs County Council
0354 53574
Finance and Administration Department
March Register Office
Superintendent Registrar
The Health Centre
Maylebone Road
March

Peterborough
Cambs County Council
0733 66323
Finance and Administration Department
Peterborough Register Office
Superintendent Registrar
33 Thorpe Road
Peterborough
PE3 6AB

St Neots
Cambs County Council
0480 473106
Finance and Administration Department
St Neots Register Office
Superintendent Registrar
Oak House
32a New Street
St Neots
PE19 1AJ

Wisbech
Cambs County Council
0945 63128
Finance and Administration Department
Wisbech Register Office
Superintendent Registrar
The Old Vicarage
Church Terrace
Wisbech
Cambridgeshire
___________________________________________________________________________
John Farenden - Secta / Health Web Services
Triton House, Hare Park Lane, Liversedge, West Yorkshire, England, WF15 8HN
Tel 01274 852160, Fax 01274 852159

Hello there,

Although I don't live in Cambridgeshire I do live in the UK so hopefully
I can help a little bit.  this is the blurb from a wedding mag about
weddings in approved buildings.  They're still quite strict.

"From summer 1995 couples wanting a no-religous wedding can marry in a
register office, or in any other approved building, anywhere in England
and Wales.  Statley homes, castles and hotels are the premises most
likely to be granted a new licence, under regulations that state the
venue must be "seemly and dignified", open to the public (in case they
wish to raise any just cause or impediment, and with "no recent or
continuing connection with religion".  Premises must also be permanent
and immovable structures and no food or drink must be sold or consumed
inthe room where the ceremony is to take place for an hour before or at
anytime during the ceremony.  It will still not be legal for weddings to
take place outdoors (or in marquees, tents and hot-air balloons) or in
private homes.  Ceremonies can be conducted on boats, but only if they're
permanently moored.  It is up to the venues themselves to apply for a
licence and details of licensed venues can be obtained from you local
register office.  each authority will set the fees for the attendance of
registrars at approved venues.  To maintain the distinction between civil
and religous ceremonies, hymns and religous music will still not be
allowed, and redundant churches will not be granted a license.  Civil
Ceremonies can include non-religous music and readings."

Hope this helps

email if you would like to anything else

Deborah

On 11 May 1996 20:58:48 GMT, ae...@yfn.ysu.edu (Dawn S Bott) wrote:

you need to get in touch with the city council in Cambridge and ask
them specifically which locations are approved.  it's not like in the
US where you can get married on any street corner  :)

Julie

I read somewhere that local registry offices are the ones with the lists of
venues with a licence.

Cambridge colleges are very popular for weddings. There are always posh
cars carrying brides around to be seen on every Saturday morning through
the summer months. There are also huge numbers of tourists in Cambridge
in the summer and appalling traffic congestion all year...Easter might be
more tolerable? I think a college might be unwilling to marry you during
termtime, but I could be wrong...

Note the England and Wales. The poster said Cambridge which is most definitely
England, but the law is different in Northern Ireland and Scotland. In
N.Ireland
the law is as it used to be in Eng/Wales with the church or registry office
choice. However, in Scotland it is almost the reverse of the current Eng/Wales
law with civil weddings having to be held in registry offices but religious
weddings can occur anywhere; up a mountain, on a boat etc... you also do not
need to be resident in Scotland to be married there...

Just in case anybody is interested...

jules,
Birkenhead.